TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the suspension of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa state.

Willie Bassey, director of information in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday.

Bassey said Yunusa-Ari is to remain suspended pending the completion of an investigation by the police on his “conduct and actions” during the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa.

According to the statement, Buhari directed that the REC be prosecuted if found culpable after the investigation.

The president also ordered the inspector-general of police (IGP), the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the commandant-general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to probe the role of their officers in “aiding and abetting” Yunusa-Ari.

He said “appropriate disciplinary actions” should be taken against anyone found culpable.

On Monday, INEC asked Yunusa-Ari to “stay away” from office and directed the administrative secretary to take full charge of affairs.

The commission had also said it would write the IGP to investigate and prosecute Yunusa-Ari.

BACKGROUND

The Adamawa governorship supplementary election was conducted on Saturday following the declaration of the March 18 poll as inconclusive over alleged irregularities.

The collation of election results was suspended till Sunday after results from 10 LGAs were announced.

Shortly before the exercise was billed to resume, Yunusa-Ari declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election when results from all the LGAs were yet to be collated.

INEC subsequently discontinued the exercise and described the REC’s action as null and void.

On Tuesday, INEC resumed the collation process and declared Ahmadu Fintiri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the governorship election.